Factory: Tabacalera Flor de Copan – Honduras
Size: 6”x52
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Morron
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan Jalapa and Estelí
Presented in boxes of 20
The Romeo y Julieta “House of” cigars collection has become one of the bestselling private label collections for Famous Smoke Shop. Just added to the original four releases are two new blends that take the line into full-bodied territory: the Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua and the Romeo y Julieta House of Romeo Nicaragua. Working with master blender Elmer Suarez and the talented Grupo de Maestros, these latest Nicaraguan-forward blends were developed by Tim Person, Director of Key Accounts for Altadis USA, Famous Smoke Shop House Brand Manager Mike Klingerman, and Famous Smoke Shop Buying Director, Jenny Ryan.
“We felt that adding a touch of Nicaraguan influence through these highly desirable tobaccos would enhance and complement the existing portfolio of brands,” said Mike.
The ability to get input from avid cigar smokers who are intimately familiar with the brand was a big plus. Moreover, the trio was also able to sample some of the best tobaccos in the house during their decision making.
A seamlessly rolled and well-packed Toro that has a nice feel in the hand. The wrapper itself is toothy and oily with an even, dark chocolate color that offers a sweet barnyard aroma to a sniff. The cap is a textbook triple seam and it cut perfectly with my double blade cutter. The prelight draw was also just right with a mostly leathery flavor.
The first few puffs were smooth with a sweet taste that finished with peppery Nicaraguan spice. No surprise there. A chewy and creamy smoke ensued that was sweet at first, then slowly melted into a spicy glaze that lingered on the palate.
However, just a little ways down, the pepper began to relax, but it didn’t take long before the body and strength hit full bore. At that point, the flavors were earthy and leathery with some light sweetness as the peppery spice moved into its own lane.
At the mid-section, the cigar had balanced-out nicely and the smoke remained smooth. The spice lightened up a bit more, too. Even with that however, this is when I realized that this cigar was one heavy hitter—and that went for both samples. A hint of hickory popped in for brief ‘hello’ but some charred wood hung around while the sweetness continued to fade.
In the final furlong the blend exhibited an earthier flavor as a juicy combination of leather, charred wood, and spice held on. Any sweetness had pretty much faded, and I left my stub in the tray with little more than an inch remaining. It was certainly one of the gutsiest cigars I’ve had in a while.
I’ll give it a thumbs-up, but with the proviso that you enjoy full-bodied cigars like those by Diesel, 601 Steel, et al. The genuine quality of this House of Romeo Nicaragua Toro is outstanding and so is the price. Compared to its House of Capulet Nicaragua sister act – featured on a recent panel review – this Romeo offers a very refined smoke and a fair amount of complexity, too, but it’s also much heartier. So, even though I came to appreciate its finer qualities—and it comes with a wealth of them—the House of Romeo Nicaragua was a little much for me. That said, I know that there are plenty of cigar smokers out there who crave bold cigars like this and Nicaraguan blends in particular. If you fall into that camp, odds are this blend is gonna make it to your go-to list.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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